Dec 6, 2008

India - Pigeons fly back to their Taj Nest

Rajiv Sharma

MUMBAI: Thousands of pigeons that had disappeared from their usual feeding spot outside the Taj Hotel following the recent terror attacks, have been making a gradual comeback due to the efforts by animal activists.

According to Arvind Shah from Karuna, an NGO, at least 15,000 pigeons used to come to this spot to feed. "These grains were mostly provided by tourists and the general public who used to visit this area on a regular basis,'' he said.

However, the firing at the hotel scared the birds away. "The sound of crackers and gunfire is almost the same. Pigeons and other birds are scared of such noises,'' Shah said. With no food available in the area anymore, these birds were only flying around.

On Friday morning, animal activists managed to persuade the police to allow them to put birdseed outside the hotel. "We managed to put around 80 kg of grains, which would last a couple of days. This would help bring the birds back,'' he said.

People visiting the area, too, kept food for the birds. Akash Mehta, a visitor, said even animals like stray dogs were affected by the firing.